This invention relates to document slides. More specifically, this invention relates to an improved hanger for a document or calendar slide and the associated method and system for binding a document with such a slide and hanger.
Slides for binding a margin of a calendar, poster, and the like are well known. A slide is generally an elongate strip of metal which may be folded or crimped one or more times onto the margin of an item, such as a calendar or poster. Examples of slides are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,906,024 and 2,042,912, each of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The vertex of the elongated V-shaped strip of sheet metal separates the two sides or legs of the V-shaped strip. Typically, one leg of the V-shaped strip is shorter or narrower, and the other leg is longer or wider. The slide also typically contains a hanger which may be a separate piece attached to the V-shaped sheet metal strip or is an eyelet stamped into the V-shaped sheet metal strip. The hanger of the first type is typically made out of plastic and is staked or attached at the approximate longitudinal center of the metal strip by one or more sheet metal burrs or rivets. The V-shaped strip of sheet metal is attached to a calendar by folding or crimping it onto the margin of the calendar. The hanger can then be used to hang and display the calendar at a desired location, e.g., a wall. The surface of the slide that is visible when it is displayed is often painted to prevent oxidization and for aesthetic purposes.
Attaching a slide to the margin or edge of a calendar, poster, or the like, is commonly referred to as “tinning”. Tinning calendars is an economical means for finishing calendars that are commonly used by companies for advertising purposes. Also, it is advantageous to tin other hanging documents, such as posters, maps, and training guides, so that they may hang neatly and be easily moved from one location to another.
Certain known machines for tinning have been manual, fully automatic or semi-automatic so that large numbers of slides per hour may be applied to individual calendars. Such tinners are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,707,194; 6,042,319 and 6,698,988, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. A calendar is fed into the folded metal strip, whereafter the metal strip is cut to the width of the calendar to form the slide. The slide is then crimped upon the calendar to sandwich the calendar therein. Thereafter, the slide is folded a second time to produce a second bend which is then crimped back upon itself to complete the tinning process.
There are a number of problems with these prior art slides. First, the slides with a separate plastic hanger that is staked or riveted to the slide require added effort to accurately position and stake the plastic hanger to the slide. The rivets or stakes used to secure the hanger may snag or scratch items, including adjacent slides when arranged in stack or magazine of similar slides. Moreover, slides of this type require special handling during the tinning process as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/321,413, filed Dec. 17, 2002 and Ser. No. 10/369,408, filed Feb. 18, 2003, each of which is assigned to the assignee of this invention and hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Another problem with known slides of the type in which the hanger is formed of an eyelet stamped from the metal of the slide itself is the difficulty a user encounters when hanging the calendar or other workpiece. One such problem is the opening in the eyelet is too small and not configured to accept the head of a nail, hook or other wall hanging device there through.
A further problem is that the user can not conveniently and easily access the eyelet hanger to bend it into place for use relative to the remainder of the slide. Typically, after the tinning process the hanger remains in place on the associated leg of the slide and juxtaposed to the back face of the calendar or workpiece. The hanger must then be bent or folded relative to the remainder of the slide so that it projects upwardly from the top edge of the slide and calendar and is accessible for hanging. However, known eyelet hangers stamped into the slide can be very difficult to access and bend relative to the slide once the slide is tinned onto the calendar.
As such, an improved calendar slide and hanger and associated system and method of tinning are needed that overcomes these and other problems with known slides and hangers of this type.